E-editions of adult non-fiction books

  • Thread starter Thread starter Maxirad
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Well, as a Kindle user, my observation that the cost difference between the physical book and the e edition is ridiculously small, given that the marginal cost of the e version is essentially zero. Typically the difference is only a couple of dollars. And I have seen instances where the physical book is on sale and is actually cheaper than the e version. Crazy, no? There are times like vacations when portability is worth getting e books, but the overall pricing model for e needs to be seriously improved.
 
You are correct. That is why I use the look inside features, read reviews and often obtain a free sample for kindle e-books. That way I have any idea of what I am purchasing. I also use the kindle unlimited feature which allows me to borrow 10 books for 9.99 monthly.
 
Mattapoisett64 said:
Well, as a Kindle user, my observation that the cost difference between the physical book and the e edition is ridiculously small, given that the marginal cost of the e version is essentially zero. Typically the difference is only a couple of dollars. And I have seen instances where the physical book is on sale and is actually cheaper than the e version. Crazy, no? There are times like vacations when portability is worth getting e books, but the overall pricing model for e needs to be seriously improved.
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I know I read somewhere that the reason for that is that the printing costs of physical books is actually a very small component of the actual price of the book. With licensing fees, royalties, marketing, etc. (not to mention the costs associated with digital products such as servers, bandwith, IT personnel, etc.), there’s not really any difference in cost between the two.
 
I do not like to study from e-books; they are fine for light reading, but I like to make a lot of notes and that is difficult electronically, no matter how many annotation tools there are.

Sometimes e-books are more convenient. I wish that one could buy a bundle: e-book and physical book, then one could have the best of both worlds, but buying one is usually expensive enough!
 
To be honest, I don’t want to see independent bookstores disappear.
 
Maxirad said:
To be honest, I don’t want to see independent bookstores disappear.
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True. The indies that I’ve seen successfully compete seem to specialize in quirky selections, deep stock in certain areas that encourage browsing - and especially travel books. In my experience travel guides can’t be adequately evaluated by a cover or online description alone - they need to be seen in person. Different styles of guides work for different people. Big chains like B&N seem to have a very generic & superficial selection in travel.
 
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